Opportunity America received a grant from Lumina Foundation to conduct a national research study of community colleges' credit and noncredit occupational education programs and their relationships with employers. Opportunity America contracted with Wilder Research to manage data collection and analysis for the study. The purpose of this study was…

Investing in community college workforce training is a central part of the Biden administration's agenda for improving the lives of American families. Now more than ever, as the nation's economy enters a post-pandemic period of significant organizational and technological change, community colleges are well-situated to help millions of low-income…

This report examines the structural divide between for-credit and noncredit postsecondary education and the problems it presents for people seeking better jobs with higher pay. It highlights innovative ways that some community colleges are trying to bridge the gap nationally--creating more seamless pathways between credit and noncredit…

In this article, Bob Woods reports that "Big data" is all the rage on college campuses, and it makes sense that administrators would use what they know to boost student outcomes. Woods points out that community colleges around the country are using the data: (1) to guide the systematic expansion of its curriculum, providing targeted…

This study examines key theoretical principles of learning-oriented evaluation for HRD programs. Practical guidelines for the implementation of learning-oriented evaluation are also developed based on the related literature. This study suggests that evaluation should be a learning process in which information and knowledge are socially constructed…

A survey instrument developed in 1991 by the Massachusetts Job Council to ascertain basic information regarding funds spent on job training and to provide state policymakers with information about those being served and what services are being provided was used as a model to develop a program assessment instrument. The program assessment…

Themes of a Canadian private sector task force report on labor force development are improving federal-provincial cooperation, expanding business and labor roles in policy, improving basic skills, promoting lifelong education, expanding counseling services, improving access to training programs, enhancing the quality and dissemination of labor…

The growing interest in human resources development (HRD) is a response to the increasingly competitive business environment which, in turn, has been shaped by such forces as the emergence of global competition, the quickening pace of technological innovation and the reduction of federal regulations in some industries. This monograph seeks to…

Although the Spanish Speaking woman is usually considered to be outside the labor market, 36 percent of the 52 percent Spanish Speaking women were in the labor force in March 1972. These women suffer economic-sexist discrimination due to ascription of work according to sex and race by a racial-sexual hierarchy existing within the traditional…

Training interventions can be evaluated by calculating return on investment (ROI) and cost-benefit analysis. The four-level model proposed by Kirkpatrick is the dominant evaluation model used. Calculating ROI has been a critical issue for trainers and executives, but only a few organizations have implemented the process that is considered as…

This paper focuses on the data ramification of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998. Section 1 provides an outline of the role of these postsecondary institutions under WIA: members of the State and local boards; one-stop operators; one-stop partners; and eligible service…

Dealing specifically with custodial, treatment, parole, and executive personnel, this report on correctional personnel is one of eight volumes which comprise the full report of the National Manpower Survey of the Criminal Justice System. Chapter and section titles include the following: (1) executive summary; (2) current manpower assessment (an…

This is the third publication in the European Training Foundation's (ETF's) series of manuals designed to support development of vocational education and training (VET) standards. This volume looks at ways in which VET standards are linked to labor market demands and how relevant VET standards are to the needs of employment in a market economy.…

A study assessed effectiveness of Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 performance measures. Data were from a survey of WIA program administrators in 50 states; visits to 5 states; interviews with labor officials and national associations representing state and local workforce development officials; and a document review. Findings indicate…

This volume contains technical and supporting materials that supplement Volume I, which describes upward mobility programs for disadvantaged and dislocated workers in the service sector. Appendix A is a detailed description of the project methodology, including data collection methods and information on data compilation, processing, and analysis.…